For sale: a flock of Birds BMW demonstrators

One solution was to raid the M Performance catalog for accessories – or for those who didn’t want to give BMW any more money, it was worth calling Birds. It has offered a range of parts to bring out the best in non-M BMWs for decades, and continues to do so to this day. And when BMW started introducing turbo engines to its core models, without necessarily upgrading the rest of the car, the Birds modifications became more attractive than ever. Think better springs and dampers to limit body control, Quaife LSDs to improve traction, and then maybe a little more power just because. The reconditioned cars were noticeably nicer to drive than stock, without the intensity or stiffness of M cars. Or at the expense of Alpinas.

Of course, a Birds BMW was always a pretty niche prospect. Most people will be happy with the standard BMW offering, the M cachet is undeniable, and we all know that the money spent on modifications is rarely recouped upon sale. So it is quite important to find one of the demonstrators for sale. You might recognize the manual 435i, complete with its ‘B18 RDS’ number plate, which graced the PH way back when and impressed with its more refined manners and connected feel. It was a significant outlay – the power, differential, springs and dampers, anti-roll bars and short shift function – coming to almost £8,000, but the money was very well spent on a disappointing standard car.

Here it is again, ten years later, for sale with only 18,000 kilometers on the odometer. And it offers a lot more than just the parts mentioned above, with an Alcon brake upgrade and 20-inch Hartge wheels too. With the mileage and the adjustments, it is truly a 4 Series like no other. And a lot cooler than an M4.

The B4-35i is for sale at a dealer next door to Birds, along with three other very intriguing BMWs. The second is another F32 4 Series, a B4-35d that also benefits from suspension, engine and differential work. Unsurprisingly, given how good the prospect of a 380bhp six-cylinder diesel engine with a real LSD sounds, this 4 Series has been driven a little more, with almost 50k under the forged alloy wheels. Once again it is a very interesting two-door BMW, the ultimate highway express. And it doesn’t even have tinted windows…

The Z4 you see here is really cool and benefits from a host of Hartge parts (including the wheels and exhaust) plus extra power, a limited-slip differential and Birds feather suspension. As the Z4 generation that sat between a full-fledged M car and the later M40is, a good performance-oriented look at the platform is interesting to say the least. Moreover, it is an immaculately presented BMW convertible, which has driven less than 50,000 kilometers in 17 years.

Finally the M240i. Less modified than the rest, with only the Birds suspension, but also with even fewer kilometers at only 8,600. As a 70-plate car, it is one of the last of a much-loved baby BMW, and benefits from a lovely Long Beach Blue with Oyster color combination. It actually doesn’t look far off from new, so it’s easy to imagine someone spending £30,000 on it – even with later xDrive cars now running close to that amount of money.

The other Birds BMWs for sale may require a more dedicated enthusiast, as at least £25,000 is required (for the 435d). The Z4 retails for £28,950 and the B4 3.5 for £32,950. And if an M4 from the same era with a 20,000-mile lifespan costs the same money, that could be a tough sell. But then you’d do very well to find a manual M4, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if you find the red car much more fun to drive on the road. Birds BMWs really are that good. There doesn’t seem to be a better time to find out what all the fuss is about…